There's no one trick to losing flab

Q. Is exercise or diet the answer to get rid of flab around the waist?

A. "Flab" that is due to sagging, untoned muscles means you need exercise to strengthen the muscles in that area. Various kinds of crunches (the improved version of sit-ups) strengthen the abdominal muscles.

On the other hand, you cannot get rid of excess body fat around the waist or anywhere else through "spot reducing" toning exercises. Extra body fat means that you've been eating more calories than you burn.

Look for two or three places in your daily habits that you can switch a high-calorie drink to water or a high-calorie food to a smaller portion, for example. You can also boost the amount you exercise.

Many people find that waistline "flab" calls for both losing extra body fat and toning muscles that have gotten out of shape.

Q. Does snacking tend to make weight control easier or harder?

A. It can do both. When you get hungry between meals and don't snack, it can hurt in the long run because when you finally get to eat, you may be so hungry that you quickly eat more than you need.

On the other hand, we sometimes forget how the calories in a series of small snacks through the day can add up. We often select snacks that we can get quickly, whether from a vending machine or cabinet. This can make snack choices likely to be high-calorie, low-nutrient foods. Ideally, snacks offer an opportunity to eat more of the nutrients and/or foods we might be lacking, such as: fruit or raw vegetables if you have trouble meeting the 5-10 recommended daily servings; a handful of whole-grain cereal or some whole grain crackers if your meals more often include refined grains; or yogurt or non-fat cappuccino if you are low on calcium sources.

The more important decision is not whether to snack, but if you choose to snack you should plan how you can select nutritious snacks, control portions and avoid snacking purely out of boredom.